The gentlest of giant

I had the pleasure of spending time with Craig in October 2024 when I went to Amboseli National Park in Kenya. He was then considered to be the biggest Tusker in the world and one of the world’s most photographed elephant.

Craig was an elephant ambassador and a dream came thru when I met him. I had hope of meeting Craig again, but sadly he passed away on the 3rd of January 2026. He lived his life to the fullest and like many other elephants passed due to his molars. His last set of molars had worn down, and he could no longer chew the rough diet properly.

When I think back on my time with him, I can say that we noticed that his stomach did not work optimally. The dung was way too wet to be considered normal for an elephant. It looked less digested, which conforms with the reason for his passing.

He did not venture into the Amboseli marshes to eat softer food, to save his molars. It is not uncommon for old bulls to live their last years in a marshy area as softer food extends their lifespan.

Staying outside the National Park

It seemed like Craig stuck to the conservancies around Amboseli where the food was rougher. My guess is that he tried to compensate for the rough diet with water to lessen the impact of it. In the end it was the rough diet that ruptured his intestines killing him.

One might think of this as inhumane, but in the end, Craig died of natural causes. The normal lifespan of an elephant is 40-60 years, and Craig lived for 54 years. He passed away in the presence of Big Life Foundation rangers that stayed with him until the end.

Died at the age of 54

He was born in 1972 to the matriarch Cassandra of the CB family in Amboseli. Over the course of his life, he fathered many calves passing on his important genes to the next generation. He was a true elephant ambassador and conservation symbol for Africa.

R.I.P Craig, I felt truly blessed to get the opportunity to spend time in your presence.